Incident Overview
An agricultural pilot was conducting his second flight of the day when, just after takeoff, he experienced a complete loss of power. The airplane subsequently landed in small trees located approximately 50 feet from the end of the runway and nosed over into an adjacent corn field.
Investigation Findings
A post-accident investigation revealed that four of the cylinders had lost compression. Further examination showed that the piston ring lands on the pistons within those four cylinders were damaged, which allowed blow-by to occur. Blow-by refers to the leakage of combustion gases past the piston rings into the crankcase, resulting in a loss of engine power.
Conclusion
The investigation did not provide any additional details regarding the aircraft type, registration, operator, or the pilot's condition. No information was available on injuries, fatalities, weather conditions, time of day, or air traffic control involvement. The findings remained limited to the mechanical failure identified in the engine.